NCAA 157 pounds

For me, it's been really easy to fixate on David Taylor in this weight division because any TV I see is from the Big Ten network, and most of the discussions I see on this weight class talk about Taylor. But, it seems to me that a lot of the action at this weight class is outside the Big Ten. For instance, Steve Fittery and Adam Hall. I haven't seen hardly anything on American University on this site, and Boise State might as well be in Mongolia for all I know. When I do see things on Arizona State Jenkins is in, then out, then in.

So, it's a little early to be calling the NCAA's but at 157 how are we looking? Can Taylor take Hall? Can Taylor take Fittery? What about Jenkins, Peppleman (Harvard) and Dong (VT)? Being a bit of a Penn State fan, I'd like to see Taylor get an NCAA championship, but has he really faced his toughest competition yet?

Re: NCAA 157 pounds

In my opinion, 157 is a 3 man race with Fittery, Hall and Taylor. Unfortunately, they won't wrestle eachother until NCAAs, so we just have to wait, but my money is on Taylor. He may not be as strong and powerful as either Fittery or Hall, but his technique is second to none and good technique almost always wins over strength/power. I'm from mountain west (grew up in Colorado and Utah, currently living in Montana), so I'd really like to see Boise State do well. Cael Sanderson and David Taylor are both transplants from the mountain west, so I'd like to see them continue to well tool.

Re: NCAA 157 pounds

If he has 25 out 26 matches BONUS then apparently not.

BJ beat him last year in the ESO finals I believe. And he is so much better then last year that match really is not even worth mentioning as a part of his resume. Neither is his loss last year to Cyler in the NLO finals. Cyler won the B10s last year.

Fittery's last loss was to Adam Hall in last year's NCAA WBs. This year he is like DT in the fact that he has 17 out 20 matches as Bonus. Fittery has 3 duals left with basically no one who will challenge him, (#13 Cocozzo, Rutgers & #14 John, Maryland). @ EIWAs you have Navy's Saddoris but he lost to Paul Young & Jimmy Vollrath this year.

Adam Hall has only one dual left vs Erisman OSU & then the P10s where hopefully will get to see him vs BJ unless they reach the finals & BJ decides to med fft. Last year the P10 I think only had 2 NQs at that weight so if Adam & BJ want to make the NCAAs they will both have to make the finals. Hall & BJ have split 2 meetings this year. Hall has bonused 13 out of 22 so not as impressive as Fittery & Taylor.

So I think conventional wisdom dictates that the rankings now are probably correct & that Fittery, Taylor, Hall & Jenkins are probably your semi finalists. If it ends being Fittery vs Taylor it will be Power vs Technique for sure.

Re: NCAA 157 pounds

Lots of if's an's and but's in that scenario Kr. I think its Fittery and Taylor at the top of 157 this year followed by the rest. Those two have beaten up on everybody. Aside from Taylor and Fittery I think the battle for third place is wide open with a slight edge to Hall. Having said that, the national tournament is a whole other animal. Either one, or both, of those two could get knocked out opening up the whole weight for St. John to win his first title.

Re: NCAA 157 pounds

Like I said in another thread DT is really impressive so far this year. I don't expect him to win it this year. For some reason I get the feeling he will make the Semi's and get beat. He hasn't been to the NCAA semi's before and I think he gets over amped and kinda gasses and loses. Just my take on what I think will happen! By the way I don't think he is a gasser but like Metcalf it is possible he gets too excited and wears out before even wrestling the match.

Re: NCAA 157 pounds

I think Taylor is a very cool, collected wrestler for someone so young--he lives wrestling and he's totally at home in a competitive environment. So I don't see gassing being an issue due to the tension (like it CAN be for Alton). I can't see anyone but possibly Fittery beating him. I have no idea how that one will turn out. I think it would have been better for Taylor to have wrestled him once before the NCAA's. If they both make it to he finals (which I definitely think they will) it should be a great match. Jenkins has unreal potential (as he showed in the 2008 NCAA knocking off both O'Connor and Caldwell and jumping out to a 4-1 lead on Metcalf in the final. But conditioning is always an issue for him in addition to his injury (whatever it is this year).